Aluminum

Towing an 8,000 lb. aluminum tube 7,500 miles cross-country is a superb way to REALLY get to know your own family, and oneself.

An ambitious (absurd) maiden voyage, Big Bear (truck) and Griz (Airstream) kept us safe, while campfires, s’mores, bourbon, and minimal digital devicing kept us pseudo sane and relatively amicable.

Some thoughts that were crystallized on this massive roadie:

RV life with a young family is basically 95% logistics and work, with short, fleeting moments of joy, peace, and immense satisfaction. Basically like the rest of life, just in clearer perspective. It’s worth it.

1. We need more parks/public land in this country. Every park campsite was near or at capacity regardless of state or federal. The notion of privatizing public lands, underfunding the National Park system, and pillaging the few remaining wilderness areas is the epitome of greed and shortsightedness. #resist and then #vote

2. 9 Month olds aren’t meant to be in a car for 8 hours a day, and one’s eardrums can attest.

3. There’s no substitute for sugar and coffee on a road trip.

4. No amount of planning is ever enough, and inevitably some items are missed or forgotten. And, that’s ok (so long as it’s not the coffee or the sugar).

5. We still have a long long way to go here in furthering education, curiosity, kindness, and awareness.

6. Never leave an acoustic guitar on the floor of an Airstream.

7. This country is still obscenely beautiful, despite our best efforts to develop every square inch of it. There’s still hope to save what’s left.

-G